On the SYRIZA-ANEL government's deceptive rejoicing

The SYRIZA-ANEL government rejoiced on August 21st 2018 at the formal exit of Greece from the memorandum and attempted to cultivate a climate of joy among the people that now things will change for the better in their everyday lives. They even called this development “a return to normality” and “the beginning of just development”.

The KKE immediately responded with arguments against this government propaganda for these reasons: The truth is that the memorandum, that is the agreements between the Greek governments and the EU and WMF for economic support, in exchange for anti-worker and anti-people measures, did not precede but followed the manifestation of the capitalist economic crisis in Greece 2009. This crisis whose causes were found in the the capitalist means of production itself, were manifested in Greece with the expansion of the public debt, the causes of which have been analyzed in detail in the past (see here http://interold.kke.gr/News/news2011/2011-09-06-pb-crisis.html). The expression of the capitalist crisis in Greece led, among other things, to the signing of 2 memorandum by the ND and PASOK governments and a third memorandum by the SYRIZA-ANEL government with the imperialist organizations the EU and the IMF, the foreign lenders of the country. These memorandum stipulate hundreds of measures – commitments that have been undertaken and implemented by the Greek governments all these years with the full support of the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV) and the other associations of big capital. The measures were not imposed “by foreigners” but constituted a strategic program of capital in order to return to profitability again, loading the burden of the crisis onto the workers.

The bourgeois system showed that it has reserves in place, which was demonstrated when SYRIZA assumed power and continued the anti-people policies that today account for 700 anti-popular laws that have been voted in over these past 10 years.

In order for capital to return to profitability the price of labor power was shrunk, as much by the reductions in salaries and pensions, as with the reduction of social gains, the significant restriction in budget expenditure for social spending, as well as the heavy burden of taxation on the people. The losses in popular income are in the range of 30-40%.

The SYRIZA-ANEL government is lying when it speaks of a “new era” after the memorandum, because:the hundreds of anti-popular laws have remained! There are commitments to capital and the imperialist associations that the same anti-popular policies will continue, which will benefit the so-called “competitiveness” and “entrepreneurship”, that is, the increase in capital gains.

New attacks on people's rights have been accepted and will be implemented over the next years.

With the so-called "European Semester", the "Euro Plus Pact", the "Financial Covenant", "Enhanced Economic Governance", just as in other countries that are in the EU, the EU will strictly monitor the continuation and the escalation of the anti-popular attack. In any case, anti-people measures were taken in the other countries of the EU that didn't have memorandum like Greece did.

But even if there were no oversight by the EU, there would be – as there is in every capitalist society – the “supervision” of big capital, the monopolies and there aims to increase their profitability. For this reason, there can be no “just development” under capitalist conditions.

In these years the leading role of the KKE and the class-oriented unions that struggle within the ranks of the All-Workers' Militant Front (PAME) is especially important, organizing the workers', popular struggle, carrying out dozens of strike mobilizations, hundreds of demonstrations, taking over ministries, and more. Despite the difficulties the role of SYRIZA, the new social democracy, and the other bourgeois parties was revealed. Popular resistance was promoted, new positions were gained in the trade union movement of the working class and the popular strata, the workers' struggle continued with demands based on their contemporary needs. The necessity for the anti-capitalist, anti-monopoly struggle with the real enemy, capital and its power, is emerging.

There is a way out for the people! It is found in the struggle with the KKE in the regroupment of the labor movement and the strengthening of the Social Alliance, against the plans of the government, the EU and its parties, serving the profits of capital, the struggle to abolish all anti-people laws, the restoration of popular incomes, the concentration of forces that will banish capitalist barbarism to the “dustbin of history” and will build a new society, without crises, unemployment and wars. A socialist-communist society with the socialization of the means of production, central planning of the economy, withdrawal from the imperialist associations of the EU and NATO, with workers' power.